The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1887-08-18
GLIMPSES OF GREAT MEN.
CORCORAN, THE PHILANrHRO-
PISr, AND HIS FRIENDS.

| CORCORAN, THE PHILANrHRO-
PISr, AND HIS FRIENDS.
Personal Notes of DIR. A. Y. p. Gar
nett, of Washington-Bob Toombs
and Wade Hampton.
| Specialize the yeus and Courier.
DIR. A. Y. p. Garnett, the physi-
clan who has accompanied Mr.. w. w.
Corcoran to Deer Park, Maryland, is
as much of central figure in Wash
ington as is the rich banker and
much-loved philanthropist himself.
He is a Virginian, "to the manor
born," and married a daughter of the
late distinguished Governor Wise of
that State, and was the family physi-
clan Of the President of the Southern
Confederacy in Richmond during the
War Of Secession, and an intimate
and confidential friend of Mr.. Davis
He was also the popular medical at
tendant of some of tine members of
the Cabinet and of the Senators and
Representatives of the Southern Con-
gress, the friend and companion of
Toombs, Yancey, Stephens, Lamar,
Ochiltree, Memminger, Trenholm,
Benjamin, Myers, and is full of remi-
quegchable enthusiasm and love for
the Lost Cause. Here he has the lar
gest and almost the exclusive practice
of the prominent Southern element,
civil and official, of the stationary as
of the floating population. And so
large is his clientage that, owing to in
creasing age. he has been forced to
decline of late numberless cases and
to refuse to attend any patient after
dark.
CARNETT's CHARMING CHARACTER.
DIR. Garnett loves his profession and
is fond of attending the medical con-
ventions when he can appropriate the
time. But the only recreation he
ever really indulges in is three
weeks sojourn each August at the
Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs.
He is not rich man, because of his
warm hearted and generous charity.
| Many Southern man and woman
here is indebted to his skill and lov-
ing kindness for recovery from long
illness, for which he has made no
charge when he has known their
means to be limited. Music is pas
sion with MIN, and he is rarely absent
from fine opera during the season,
accompanied always by his faxen-
haired, blue-eyed and only daughter,
| Annie. Mrs. Garnett seldom appears
in public; the loss of a grown son and
daughter within the past few years
has caused her to exclude herself
from all but her family and few
chosen friends.
Wv. CORCORAN.
For "a years Mr.. Corcoran has
spent every summer at the Greenbrier
White Sulphur Springs, occupying
always the same cottage in South Car
olina row, next to the one built by
Ex-Governor John L. Manning, with
the exception OF one passed at New
port several seasons ago, when he ac-
knowledged himself homesick for his
favorite resort, and the several sum-
mers that he was absent in Europe. 1t
was deemed advisable for him not to
60 there now, ,.as he can be kept more
quiet where he is. At the White he
would realize more his invali6ism. It
was his habit to spend always an hour
or two each day in the spacious parlor
and out en- the broad gallery of the
hotel, where he held court; for he was
invariably surrounded by men and
women, and often children, all of
whom delighted to hear him.
THE BEAUTIFUL ANTOINETTE POLK.
met him last there in 1884. His
penchant for whist is we'll known, and
every evening from 8 to II o'clock
| his table in one corner of the grand
parlor was with rare exceptions occu-
pisd by the same party, Mr.. Corcoran,
and Mrs. Andrew Polk, Of Tennessee,
Judge Gilbert, of Brooklyn, and a
South Carolina lady. Mr.. Corcoran
told me that Mrs. Polk, as Miss Van
Leer, was the most beautiful woman
i'll her youth he almost ever saw. She
was an heiress, too, and highly accom-
pl;shed. At that time, 1884, she had
lived eighteen years in Europe, hav-
ing returned only year before. Mrs.
Polk has been many years widow,
| anu Is IIlc IuOIucT VI AutolACtIc olh.
consi 1ered one of the most beautiful
women in Europe at the time of her
marriage to Col. de Charrette, of tbs
haette noblesse of France. His mother
was the half sister of the Count de
Chapbord, the first gentleman of Eu-
rope, as the Empress of Russia styled
him, in reality Henry V. At the time
of Miss Polk's marriage to him they
were living in Rome, and Charrette
was the colonel of the Zouaves of the
Pope's household, most devout and
a.dent Catholic, as his wife is. AT
the breaking out Of the Franco-Prus-
sian war, however, all the foreign lega-
tion, and those of French nationality
and proclivities, entered the French
army, under the command of Col. de
Charrete, and covered themselves with
glory. 1 remember one evening, dur
ing game of whist, the South Caro-
lima lady, who happened to be Mr.
Corcoran's partner, made misplay
to which he called her attention some.
what sharply, for he is exceedingly
tenacious of the strict observance Of
rules, when she laughed and said: 81
could not help it, Mr.. Corcoran, fol-
| just then saw, standing at the win.
dow outside, facing me, the best belov.
ed man of South Carolina, and it wal
such surprise to me, not knowing
that he had come" The next mo-
ment Senator Hampton entered the
drawing room, and came up to the Ia